Lost in the Lonely Fen
by Earendil Eldar
Summary: An inquisitive kid wanders into the Torchwood 3 base one day while Jack's on duty alone. (Seems there's more after all! Mostly young Ianto from here, i'm thinking. Mentions of Jack, though, no doubt).
1. Chapter 1

Cardiff, Summer 1991

Jack stretched, wishing he hadn't volunteered to work the bank holiday solo so everybody else could have a day off. The Hub was damn boring most days, except for the occasional weevil-chase. He was contemplating whether it was worth it to force down a cup of his own coffee, or if casual suicide was a quicker option, when one of the proximity alarms went.

Jack was surprised to find it was the invisible lift on its way down. Dock workers crossed that thing a hundred times a day and Jack had never seen anyone able to trigger it before, not even accidentally. One literally had to know it was there. So Jack was even more surprised when it wasn't one of his colleagues, but a young boy looking amazed on the ride down.

Jack considered his track record when it came to British school children, and considered just sending the lift right back up and locking it until he was sure the kid had gone back to his parents. Cardiff Bay wasn't exactly a place to bring a little kid anyway, Jack thought. It would be a few years yet before development kicked off.

The kid didn't seem especially upset that he was suddenly in a great underground facility and coming down on an invisible lift, though. That made Jack curious.

"Hi," Jack called out, emerging from his vantage point in the lounge area.

"Hello," replied the child.

"Who are you?" Jack asked.

"Jones."

"Um… what are you doing here?"

The kid shrugged. "Looking."

'Talkative little thing,' Jack thought. He discreetly scanned the kid for alien life and was relieved to find it was just a regular 20th century Earth kid.

"Alright… how did you get here? That's kind of not an obvious entrance."

The kid shrugged again. "I'm waiting for tad. I thought that this bit looked… different. Just came to look, and it went down."

"Do you always see things other people don't see?"

The kid shrugged. "Sometimes, I guess. I read a lot. What is this place?"

Jack thought for a second. They didn't need kids running around telling tales about Torchwood, but retcon was definitely safe for kids – and the parents would probably be glad their little lad was taking a nap instead of tearing up the house for a couple hours.

"This is Torchwood," Jack said.

"What's that?"

"We catch aliens."

"Aliens? What do you do with them?"

"Try to help them get home," Jack said. "Like in _ET_."

"I didn't care for that film," the boy frowned.

"Really? It was pretty popular with kids, wasn't it?"

"I thought it was a bit silly. I don't think real aliens are like that. It was a bit sad as well."

"Some aliens are nice. They aren't all scary."

"Who are you, please?"

Jack couldn't help grinning. The kid was thoroughly disarming. "Captain Jack Harkness," he replied, standing a bit straighter.

"Are you a policeman?"

"I guess I'm a sort of an alien policeman. Where are you from?" Jack asked, trying to get the conversation back to the kid… Jones or whatever.

"Cardiff, sir. Where are you from?"

'Ok,' Jack thought, 'I'll play.' "I'm from outer space."

The kid frowned a bit. "Really, where?"

"Really. Far away, and in the future. I come from a place called Boeshane."

"Does that mean you're an alien?"

"Kind of. I'm a person, but I happen to be an alien, sort of."

"Did they catch you, then, here?"

"Yeah," Jack said, nodding. He hadn't thought of it that way before, but it was pretty accurate.

"Are you sad, being caught here?"

"Do I look sad?" Jack asked with a smirk.

The kid looked at him for a moment and said, "A bit."

That stopped Jack and he considered his earlier question about whether the kid saw things other people didn't. "I do lots of important things here, and I have a lot of fun, too. I get to help aliens _and_ people."

"Because you _are_ an alien, and a person. But you're still a bit sad, sir," the kid said.

"Maybe sometimes I miss my friends," Jack said. "Hey, you should probably be getting home, somebody's going to be missing you, too, I'm sure."

"I don't think so. They'll just be angry with me."

"They'll be scared you were missing, that's all. Come on, I'll take you back up where you were waiting, ok?"

"Can't I stay here?"

"I'm afraid not. You're not an alien. How about a bit of candy before you go?"

"Not meant to take candy from strangers," the boy frowned.

"This is safe, I promise," Jack said, handing him a child's dose retcon-laced red m&m.

The kid took the candy and considered it for a moment, before popping it in his mouth. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jack said with a smile. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Jones, sir. Ianto Jones."

Jack led the kid out through the normal entrance that let out by the mudflats. The lad was almost asleep before they got in the elevator and Jack picked him up to carry him.

Up on the docks, Jack found a man shouting for his son and waved to him.

"He's fine, sound asleep though," Jack said, passing the kid to his father. "Not the best place to leave a kid on his own," Jack added.

"What do you know about it?" the man snarled. "Bloody Americans."

Jack just sighed and walked away, hating to leave that bright, inquisitive kid with someone of that disposition. At least now Jack had something to do on his day off – retrieve and edit the CCTV tapes before the rest of the crew got back the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

Summer 1994

"Morning, _nain_."

"Good morning, _bach cariad_," Gran said, getting a hug before Ianto sat down at the kitchen table. "_Taid_ up yet?"

"Yep. Getting dressed."

"Good. I'll put his coffee on and get you a glass of fruit juice."

"Thanks, _nain_."

Ianto couldn't help a shy grin as his grandfather walked into the kitchen, buttoning his waistcoat, and kissed Ianto's grandmother before ruffling Ianto's hair.

"Thought we'd go on down to the old Electro after breakfast. Or is that a bit boring for young lads nowadays?" Granddad asked. "I'm sure it's all Pac-Man and Space Invaders and Mario Brothers these days."

Ianto shook his head. "Don't really fancy those games, me. Cinema sounds brilliant though. Did you used to go there when you were my age?"

"Well, not _quite_ your age, but not much older. And I took your nain there on our first date. We saw an American comedy picture called _Duck Soup_."

"I saw that on telly, it was funny."

"On telly? Did you really?"

"Sure, _taid_… it was Marx Brothers, wasn't it?"

"Doesn't miss a trick, our lad," Gran smirked, setting a glass of juice in front of Ianto and two mugs of coffee on the kitchen table.

"What's it taste like, coffee?" Ianto asked. "I like how it smells."

Ianto's Gran smiled. "It's an _acquired_ taste. You probably wouldn't care for it at all now, but you likely will when you're grown up."

"Maybe I'll prefer tea," Ianto said doubtfully.

"Maybe so," Granddad grinned.

"You lads should take some biscuits with you to the pictures," Gran said, taking a few out of the repurposed coffee tin. "That'll do you until you're back for lunch."

"Or until our lad gets hungry after he sleeps through half the programs," Granddad winked.

"I don't nap, _taid_," Ianto frowned.

"I know, lad. I reckon you sleep well if you're not wanting a kip by afternoon."

Ianto shrugged. "I guess I do. I have funny dreams sometimes. Like the one I had last night."

"Oh? What was that about?" Gran asked.

"Dreamed I was down by the docks in town and there was a man in a big coat, like an old-time soldier or pilot. I don't remember most of it. He said he caught aliens and sent them home, though, which I thought was cool. I wish I could do that when I grow up."

"Aliens?" Gran laughed, setting three plates of breakfast on the table. "That's down to you, Ifan, letting him watch those _Twilight Zone_ videos before bedtime."

"The way technology is going, they might very well find aliens out there before he's our age," Granddad said.

"Remember that fellow who used to come into the shop occasionally? He had an old RAF coat."

"I remember that, the American chap, good-looking and well-aware of it. That coat of his took a beating. I've no idea what kind of work he did to get it in that condition."

"Thought he was a detective or in civil service or something. Probably got it all scuffed up running down robbers and murderers."

"And you watch too much _Inspector Morse_," Granddad chuckled. "I figured him for an actor, too flash for civil service."

"Maybe he was a secret agent like 007," Ianto said.

"Oh, could've been! He was quite mysterious. Don't imagine we'll ever know the truth."

"I could be a secret agent alien catcher," Ianto decided.

"Just make sure you do it in a smart suit," Granddad said sagely.


	3. Chapter 3

Summer 1997

"Don't know why you always want to spend time around those old people."

"They're my grandparents," Ianto said quietly.

"Don't see your sister fussing over them. Haven't you any mates? You ought to be having a kickabout like a proper lad. Looking after old people, reading all the time… that lot's for girls. Keep doing that and you'll end up queer."

"No I won't," Ianto mumbled. "Can I just go?"

"On your bike, then," Ianto's father huffed.

Ianto fetched his fleece jacket and hurried down the road to catch the bus into the city centre where granddad would meet him. They'd go together to visit gran in St. Tielo's. Every time they visited, Ianto hoped his _nain_ would finally be turning a corner. Every time Ianto saw her, she seemed to be slipping further.

He spent the whole ride reading _You Only Live Twice_, carefully marking his place and slipping the book into his vintage messenger bag at the stop before his. Ianto wasted no time jumping off at his stop, hurrying over to his granddad who sat at the bus shelter, looking smart as usual in his full suit, Homburg hat, and walking cane.

"Need a hand up, _taid_?" Ianto asked.

"Thanks, lad. Shall we go?"

Ianto nodded and walked slower than usual to keep pace with his granddad. Inside the hospital, Ianto went ahead to get the lift while granddad exchanged pleasantries with the receptionist. The nurses on the unit were always especially charmed to see Ianto with his granddad, remarking how nice it was to see a young person who cared about something more than rap music and computer games.

"Go on ahead, lad, I'll be along now in a minute," granddad said, stopping to have a word with one of the nurses.

"Alright," Ianto said, continuing on to his gran's room. "_Nain_?" he said quietly at the door.

"Who's that?"

"It's Ianto, _nain_. How're you feeling?"

"I have my days, _cariad_. When did you get so big? How old are you now?"

Gran always sounded like she'd only just woken up, Ianto thought, and it saddened him to think of her feeling so poorly. "I'm 14 next week, _nain_," he said, sitting beside the bed and reaching out to hold his gran's hand.

"You'll be starting college soon."

"Couple years, yet, _nain_. Still have to do my GCSEs."

"You'll do brilliant. You're a very clever boy."

"Thanks, _nain_."

"What do you want to read?"

"Not sure, really. I enjoy history a lot, so maybe that. Not sure what sort of work I'd do though."

"You wanted to catch aliens," his gran said with a smile.

"When I was little, _nain_."

"Got to catch them before they catch you. Only stands to reason there's life out there somewhere…," Granddad said, coming into the room. "How are you today, Myffie?" he said, slowly leaning in to kiss his wife.

"Better you're here," she said.

"Well, we've got to bust you out of here one of these days. That's why I bring the lad… he'll distract the pretty nurses."

"_Taid_…," Ianto said, embarrassed.

"You won't always feel that way," Granddad winked. "But they'll always be charmed by you."

Ianto and his granddad visited for a couple hours, during quite a bit of which Ianto's gran slept off and on.

As they left the hospital, Granddad was quiet for a while, before turning to Ianto. "There used to be a good chip shop near here. Fancy going to see if it's still around?

"Alright," Ianto said. He suddenly got the feeling that his gran would never leave that hospital. Granddad would need him more than ever if that was true.


	4. Chapter 4

Summer 2000

Ianto sat on a bench near the Norwegian Church, thinking back to when he was little. The bay area was absolutely unrecognizable. What had been terrifying docklands (to a child) was now a thriving commerce and cultural center. Cardiff had gone from tatty to tidy almost overnight.

"You'd have enjoyed this, _taid_," Ianto said quietly, pulling the little box beside him closer. It was a chilly, dreary summer day, keeping most holidaymakers away from the new tourist destination.

After sitting for a while, watching the occasional heron glide by to and from the wetlands, Ianto decided it was time. He carefully replaced the box in his bag and walked slowly around toward the oval. Walking felt unusual and mechanical, as if he was only moving forward because of some outside influence.

Ianto ended up on the boardwalk where he sat down and took out the small box again. He held it for a while in his lap. "I used to wish everything would just go back to how it was before," he whispered, hating how his voice cracked. "I wished _nain_ would get better, I even prayed every week. And then you took ill… I felt so helpless, _taid_. I just have to get out of here, that's all, but I hate leaving _Caerdydd_. I love it here like you did, but I can't stay just now. I'll come back someday… I promise."

Standing up, Ianto walked to the edge of the boardwalk and opened the box. "_Hwyl fawr, taid_," he said, upturning the box and letting its contents be blown over the bay. He stood leaning on a post for a long while until he finally felt composed enough to turn around again. Ianto put the box back into his bag again and decided he needed a hot cup of coffee more than anything.

Ianto found a quiet café up in the quay and draped his jacket over a leather chair near the window – even though he was the only customer sitting down - before ordering himself a latte. He sat for a while, looking out over the bay, wondering if _nain_ and _taid_ were finally together again in some afterlife, or if there was such a thing.

He was nearly finished with his drink and dreading going home when the only other customer entered the café. Ianto paid little attention until he realized that the man was carrying two cups out of the shop and would have to juggle them to open the door. Ianto jumped up to get the door and the man in the long coat (a little heavy even for a chilly summer, Ianto thought) gave him a brilliant smile.

"Thanks. Hey, that's a _nice_ suit," the guy said with an American accent.

Ianto was fairly sure he'd never actually flirted with anyone, but he definitely recognized the less-than-pure interest being directed toward him. He tried not to visibly recoil – that would be rude – but gave the man a look that clearly said he didn't appreciate the insinuation. The guy had to be twice his age… just because half the juniors in his school mistook him for a teacher didn't make it ok. And besides… he was a _guy_.

Ianto grabbed his bag, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and hurried away in the other direction.


	5. Chapter 5

Summer 2003

Ianto hated mornings to the depths of his being. More specifically, he hated hangovers. There was nothing unusual about that, especially for a university student, but Ianto – as in all things – was different. Instead of going to the clubs or house parties with mates, he drank alone in his tidy, shabby, closet-sized bedsit.

He was surer every day that university was a waste of time. He couldn't ever remember being less sure of himself and his place in the world. He could hardly see the point in finishing a university degree when he was fairly sure he'd wind up doing office support or something equally unskilled. And anyway, when drinking, it was easier to pretend he didn't spend about 60% of his waking time thinking about good-looking men. Or that it didn't bother him, more like.

Most days it was easier to stay curled up in his bed reading or half-heartedly making notes for assignments. He regarded his fellow students as colleagues rather than friends and avoided most organized extracurricular social activities. The few people he did talk to socially was mainly for the purpose of keeping up with classwork.

Ianto chose to work off-campus as it allowed him to feel more independent of university life. He felt more comfortable interacting with picky customers who wanted their cappuccinos and lattes remade than with his peers. Though, Ianto was so charming and made such good coffee that very few people ever had any complaints.

Then there was a day in an astronomy class (which he only rarely attended because he could have passed all the exams in his sleep) that made Ianto Jones begin to think about the world a bit differently. It was called the Drake equation and at first sounded like something out of one of those old sci-fi programs that Ianto thought were cheap and tacky even as a kid. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Their instructor, who'd spent most of his career working for NASA, projected some images of deep space from Hubble and explained that what they could see, even with the most advanced technology, was no more than a single grain of sand on a beach. Hundreds of billions of galaxies, at billions of stars per galaxy, and each of those stars capable of hosting planets which could support life… it all sounded so _big_ to Ianto, but suddenly made so much sense.

After class, Ianto stayed back to talk to the instructor, Dr. Lethbridge, and to apologize for not attending his class more regularly. Ianto lost track of time as he conversed with Dr. Lethbridge and realized he hadn't felt so enthusiastic about anything in quite a long while. Dr. Lethbridge invited Ianto to come round for tea on the weekend as his cousin, who was apparently highly placed in some UN division, was coming down for a visit. Ianto accepted gratefully, even though he'd have to get someone to cover his shift at the café. Something told him that this was an extraordinary opportunity that just might change his life.

After that meeting, Ianto began applying himself more diligently, attending classes regularly and putting effort and care into his coursework. A month before officially finishing his degree, Ianto received a letter which, near as he could tell, seemed to be recruiting him to work as a researcher. He hadn't sent many resumes or inquiries to firms in London as he'd been considering going back home to Cardiff and maybe even doing some additional study there. If nothing else, Ianto figured he might as well take an interview with this Torchwood Institute. It certainly wouldn't hurt his chances of doing graduate study down the road and he wouldn't mind earning a real living for a while.

Life, it seemed, was finally giving him a bit of a break, Ianto thought. Now if he could only find somebody special. Well, special _and_ acceptable, anyway.

* * *

_Well, we generally know the story from there out. Maybe i'll do '06 and '09 just for completionism's sake?_


	6. Chapter 6

Summer 2006

"Hi, Ianto. Long day?"

"Oh. Hi, Lisa. Um… yeah, pretty much always."

"You've got to be like the hardest working person in this place. You really ought to have a rise."

"You wanna ask Hartman about that?" Ianto said with a smirk.

"Uh, yeah… maybe another time," Lisa laughed. "Hey, Ianto? What do you do to unwind?"

"Unwind? Not sure I'm familiar with the concept. Is that something new?"

"Around here, it may be."

"Really, though, I don't do a whole lot, I guess. Go home, decide between pizza and a Chinese, sleep. I read a bit, watch old films."

"You don't care for going out?"

"Nothing against it. Don't really fancy going out on my own though."

"Oh."

"Yeah. It's a lot easier for girls," Ianto smirked. "What about you? You go out?"

"Well, not every night," Lisa smiled. "I'm going for dancing tonight though. Do you dance?"

"I like dancing. Not sure if I 'dance,' as such. I mean, I think the last time I danced was at my sister's wedding. I was still at uni then. Where do you dance?"

"A few different places. Tonight it's a salsa club in Hammersmith."

"Oh, salsa dancing?"

Lisa nodded.

"I kinda figured you meant just… you know, whatever it is people do at clubs."

"I don't mind that either, but I've really gotten into salsa in the last year. Gets my mind off all the… crazy things we see here that I can't tell anybody else about."

Ianto nodded. "I can imagine."

"You think you'd ever like to give it go?"

"Me?" Ianto was about to shake his head but then realized Lisa was actually _asking_ him. Either that was a first or it was just the first time he recognized it. "Um… well, yeah, I would, actually. Sounds like fun."

Lisa smiled. "I guess it's kinda last minute, but if you don't have plans for tonight you're welcome to come along with me. Otherwise, we could always go another evening."

Ianto could hardly believe it, but he insisted to himself that she was just being friendly, not asking him _out_. Still, it was a lot closer to actually being asked out than he'd ever had before, and he wasn't about to knock it back, especially not from somebody as gorgeous and smart as Lisa Hallett. "I've got nothing on tonight. Well… that is, except a video of GoldenEye, but videos are brilliant at waiting."

"Good! I can meet you at the club," Lisa said, rummaging through her bag for a flyer. "This is the place. Just come any time you like, I'll be there all night."

"Right. Brilliant," Ianto said, noting the club opened at 9 and telling himself to go for cool and not go in till 10.

"Ok. See you later, Ianto," Lisa said, giving him a big smile and a wave as she headed off to her underground station.

That night, as soon as he got home, Ianto showered and shaved and had a minor panic attack over what he could wear that would look smart but not like he was trying too hard. Ianto knew he wasn't very good at the flirting game and usually just came up in a blush when girls smiled and blinked like they had a facial tick. Lisa was different, though. Lisa was practical and clever as well as outgoing and laidback. When Ianto thought about it, he began to think maybe attraction wasn't so much about what someone looked like (though Lisa was one of the most beautiful people he'd ever met) but more about their personality and making a connection.

After seeing Lisa dance that night, Ianto decided he definitely needed to do classes if he planned to keep up, and he definitely wanted to keep up. Over the next few weeks, he and Lisa chatted more when they crossed paths around the office and met at the salsa club twice a week. It was a month before Ianto got brave enough to actually ask Lisa on a _real_ date.

He'd been wondering just what he'd gotten himself into since joining the Torchwood Institute and finding out exactly how real all that alien stuff was… but now Ianto knew it was the best thing that ever happened to him. For the first time since his _taid's_ illness and death, Ianto didn't feel so lost in the world anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

Summer 2009

Ianto woke suddenly, reaching for the back of his neck and nearly hitting Jack in the face. He took a deep breath, realizing he was in Jack's bunk, safe.

"You ok?" Jack mumbled sleepily.

Ianto swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Dream. Stupid."

Jack moved his hand from Ianto's waist up to his chest. "Heart's pounding. Want to talk about it? Help you calm down."

Ianto was quiet for a minute. "Dreams are weird. Don't remember most of it. I was arguing with my dad and he put a knife to the back of my head. Fought back though… held him off while I rang 999 on the mobile."

Jack held Ianto tighter. "You're safe, I promise," he said, kissing Ianto's neck.

"I know," Ianto said, covering Jack's hand on his chest with his.

"Was it ever that bad?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto shook his head. "No, not quite. I think I was always a bit afraid that it could be though. Like there was an… undercurrent."

"You're safe," Jack reiterated, lost for anything else to say.

"I know," Ianto said again, squeezing Jack's hand. "What time is it? Probably ought to be up."

"Early," Jack said, looking back to the old travel clock beside the bed. "Five to five. Well, four to five now."

"Stack of filing needing doing."

Jack knew when Ianto was trying to distract himself but wasn't about to let him go hide in the archives at 5 in the morning. "I have a better idea," he said, kissing Ianto's neck again and shifting out of bed. He tossed a pair of jeans and a jumper to Ianto. "Want me to make coffee?"

"Don't you dare," Ianto glared with tired eyes while Jack got dressed. As soon as Ianto was dressed, he climbed out of the bunker and set to making coffee.

"Put 'em in travel mugs?" Jack said, wrapping his arms around Ianto from behind and proceeding to do all sorts of things to that spot behind Ianto's ear that made him shiver.

"Take it that means we're going somewhere at this early hour?" Ianto asked as steadily as he manage.

"Not far," Jack said, letting his hands wander under Ianto's jumper to stroke his belly.

Ianto took a deep breath. "We're not going anywhere but back to bed if you keep that up."

Jack quickly withdrew his hands and settled them on Ianto's hips. "I'll be good," Jack said, giving a quick kiss to Ianto's neck.

Ianto snorted. "I'd like to see that day!" Ianto poured two travel mugs while Jack went to get his coat, then handed one to Jack. "Lead on, Captain."

Jack smiled and took Ianto's hand, leading him over to the invisible lift and sending it up. It was chilly and barely lightening outside, a peacock blue cast to the sky over the bay. Stepping off the lift, Jack lead Ianto down the oval toward the boardwalk as if they were going back in through the tourist office. Jack stopped and sat on one of the benches looking out over the bay, though.

"The scenic route if not the direct one," Ianto said, sitting beside him.

"I like the lift, don't get to use it enough," Jack said, putting an arm around Ianto's shoulders. "And before you ask, _this_ is what we're doing here. Just sitting, having coffee, watching the world wake up around us."

Eventually, Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder. Jack rested his cheek against Ianto's head with a smile of love and serenity.

"You want to know something?" Ianto said after a long while.

"Of course I do," Jack murmured.

"It's taken more than a quarter-century, but I'm finally happy."

"Me too, Yan," Jack said, kissing the top of Ianto's head. "Me too, finally."


End file.
